Andy Greene never got drafted into the NHL, but he performed exceptionally well at the University of Miami in Ohio, which led to him being noticed as a Free Agent. He eventually landed a spot on the New Jersey Devils team.

Greene initially made the main roster in his first year for a 23-game run, but he cemented his position on the team in the following season. He was a typical stay-at-home defenseman who was excellent at blocking shots. Over his career, he managed to compile an impressive 1,730 blocked shots. Additionally, Greene was a valuable asset on the penalty kill, and his team rarely had to play with a man down because he seldom visited the penalty box. Despite never receiving a vote for the Norris Trophy, Greene led the NHL in Defensive Win Shares in the 2012-13 season.

Greene played for the New Jersey Devils until he was traded to the New York Islanders at the 2020 trade deadline. He retired after the 2021-22 season, having accumulated 257 career points.

Trevor Ariza had a journeyman career, having played for ten different NBA teams, three of them twice. The Small Forward was a former Mr. California basketball player who went to UCLA for a year and impressed scouts enough to be drafted by the New York Knicks in the Second Round of 2004. 

Ariza played off of the bench mostly in his first five seasons, and with his third team, the Los Angeles Lakers, he won the NBA Championship.  Afterwards, he bounced around the NBA but was mainly a starter, enjoying stops in Houston, New Orleans, and Washington. He produced eight years of at least 10 points per game.  Ariza also played for Orlando, Phoenix, Sacramento, Portland and Miami and started 769 of 1,118 Games overall.  He also received Defensive Player of the Year Award four times.

We know that Ariza will not enter the Hall, but anyone who played over 1,100 Games in the NBA and has a ring to show for it deserves a writeup here at Notinhalloffame.com. 

Playoff Rondo.

Rajon Rondo loved it best when the lights were at their brightest.

The Boston Celtics acquired him in a 2006 draft-day trade from Phoenix, and he was a Second Team All-Rookie. Rondo won the starting job as a sophomore, and the Celtics loaded him with talent with Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen joining him and Paul Pierce. Boston won the championship that year, but although many credited the "Big Three", Rondo was at times their best player in the playoffs.

Rondo improved his defense and earned a Second Team All-Defensive slot after his 2008 playoff success. Afterwards, he went to four straight All-Star Games and was in the conversation as one of the top point guards in the league. Rondo won the steals title in 2009-10, coinciding with a First Team All-Defensive nod, which was the first of two. He then became a better distributor, winning back-to-back assists titles (2011-12 & 2012-13), and was an All-NBA Third Team Selection in 2011-12. Notably, Rondo also finished 10th and 8th for the MVP in those seasons and was the face of the franchise. Everything was going well for Rondo until he tore his ACL in January of 2013, and nothing was the same again.

Rondo returned a year later, but his traditional and advanced statistics were a little lower. Boston was struggling, and in December of 2014, he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks to help them in their playoff run. Bluntly, Rondo did not help Dallas, and he was benched in the playoffs. Dallas did not want him, and Rondo's journeyman phase began.

He signed with Sacramento and won his third and final assists title (2015-16). Coincidentally, this was also his last season averaging more than 10 points per game. He played for Chicago, then New Orleans, then signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he was now coming off the bench. Rondo could still light it up, but it was becoming less frequent. He helped them win the 2020 NBA Championship, and this was his last great moment in the sport. Rondo played two more years, playing for Atlanta, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Lakers again, and Cleveland.

As good as Rondo was at his peak, his off-court issues could push him on the wrong side of the fence.

The 21st century has been a golden era for science fiction, with blockbuster hits like "Avatar" and "Inception" dominating the box office and capturing the public's imagination. However, beyond these well-known successes lies a treasure trove of underrated sci-fi gems that have significantly contributed to the genre with their innovative ideas, storytelling, and visionary outlook.

These films, despite their quality and creativity, may not have received the attention they deserved. However, most of the honourable mentions below have created a cult following. They can be compared to Live Blackjack Gaming Canada in terms of coolness and engagement, and deserve to be reviewed again. Here are the top ten underrated science fiction movies of the modern era.

1. Moon (2009)

• Synopsis: Summary: Sam Bell's job with Lunar Industries, which involves mining Earth's main energy source on the dark side of the moon, is almost over. Isolation begins to take its toll, revealing that the life he's living might not be his own.
• Why It's Underrated: Despite critical acclaim, "Moon" flew under the radar for many moviegoers. Its introspective take on solitude and identity, combined with Sam Rockwell's compelling performance, makes it a standout.

2. Coherence (2013)

• Synopsis: During a comet passing, a group of friends at a dinner party experience strange occurrences, leading to a mind-bending exploration of reality.
• Why It's Underrated: "Coherence" is a masterclass in low-budget filmmaking, using a simple premise to explore complex themes of quantum physics and parallel universes. Its narrative inventiveness is a rare find.

3. Primer (2004)

• Synopsis: Two engineers accidentally discover time travel. As they begin to experiment, they find that their actions have unforeseeable consequences.
• Why It's Underrated: Renowned for its technical accuracy and intricate plot, "Primer" is a film that rewards viewers with each watch, yet its complexity may have deterred a wider audience.

4. The Man from Earth (2007)

• Synopsis: Professor John Oldman's surprise goodbye party turns into a strange questioning when he tells his coworkers that he has a longer and stranger past than they can think.
• Why It's Underrated: This dialogue-driven film explores profound philosophical and existential questions, relying on ideas rather than effects—a rare approach that may have limited its mass appeal but enchanted those who discovered it.

5. Predestination (2014)

• Synopsis: A time-travelling agent embarks on a complex series of missions culminating in his final assignment: to stop the one criminal that has eluded him throughout time.
• Why It's Underrated: "Predestination" twists traditional time-travel paradoxes into an intricate narrative, boasting stunning performances, especially by Sarah Snook, yet it remains relatively unnoticed by mainstream audiences.

6. Upstream Color (2013)

• Synopsis: A man and a woman are pulled together by the life cycle of an organism that doesn't age. As they try to put together the broken pieces of their lives, their identities start to fade.
• Why It's Underrated: Shane Carruth’s follow-up to "Primer," "Upstream Color," is a visually stunning, deeply philosophical film that challenges its audience, perhaps too much for those accustomed to conventional narratives.

7. Annihilation (2018)

• Synopsis: A biologist signs up for a dangerous, secret expedition into a mysterious zone where the laws of nature don't apply.
• Why It's Underrated: Despite critical acclaim, "Annihilation" struggled at the box office, possibly due to its challenging subject matter and visual abstraction. Its exploration of self-destruction and transformation is profoundly moving.

8. Under the Skin (2013)

• Synopsis: An alien in human form is on a journey through Scotland. The more she engages with humanity, the more her own world becomes distant.
• Why It's Underrated: Scarlett Johansson's performance is mesmerizing, and the film’s haunting, ethereal quality explores themes of humanity and alienation in ways that are both unique and deeply unsettling.

9. Beyond the Black Rainbow (2010)

• Synopsis: Held captive in a specialized medical facility, a young woman with unique abilities seeks a chance to escape her obsessed captor.
• Why It's Underrated: This film’s hypnotic visuals and atmospheric storytelling create a unique sci-fi experience that defies easy categorization, contributing to its status as a cult classic rather than a mainstream hit.

10. Equilibrium (2002)

• Synopsis: In a dystopian future where emotions are deemed illegal and all forms of art are banned, a man in charge of enforcing the law rises to overthrow the system of oppression he once upheld.
• Why It's Underrated: "Equilibrium" blends action-packed sequences with thought-provoking themes about free will and individuality. While it gained a modest following over the years, its impact on the sci-fi genre is often overlooked in favour of more widely recognized dystopian films.

The 21st century has witnessed a renaissance of sci-fi cinema, offering audiences a diverse array of thought-provoking and visually stunning films beyond mainstream hits. These underrated gems push the boundaries of storytelling, challenge conventional narratives, and explore complex philosophical concepts, often with limited budgets and without the support of major studios. It's essential to celebrate and revisit these overlooked treasures that enrich the cinematic landscape with their creativity and imagination.